20th Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment have announced that the upcoming sequels to James Cameron’s Avatar will all be shot in New Zealand. The three sequels will be shot back-to-back with reportedly significant subsidies from the New Zealand government.
The release of the first sequel will be in December 2016, with the second to follow in December 2017, and the third a year later. Production is expected to begin next year with Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, and Stephen Lang all returning in their respective roles.
Avatar 2, 3, and 4 will be produced by Cameron and Jon Landau through their Lightstorm Entertainment banner. Writers Josh Friedman (War of the Worlds), Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver (Rise of the Planets of the Apes), and Shane Salerno (Savages) are all currently penning the individual sequels.